Life's A Zoo - The Holidays
by 50shadesofnightshift
Summary: A (belated) surprise inside...you have to read it :)
1. Chapter 1

_A mini-fic._

 _Skylar, Zach and Hunter enjoy Christmas with their dads and chosen family._

 _Separate_ _story from "Life's a Zoo." No real plot, just a bunch of silly short chapters, some connected and some not._

 _ **Christmas is (more of) a Zoo**_

 _ **Chapter One: The Christmas Party**_

 _The latter of the chapter is rated M._

The staff family Christmas was in full swing. The children enjoyed making their own tree ornaments and making other Christmas crafts and chasing balloons. They ate pizza and tons of junk food while they waited for the man of the hour to arrive. A year before Skylar and another older child "thought" he sounded much like Ray, one of the orderlies. They're weren't wrong. To avoid the guy in the red suit getting busted as a fraud, this year the hospital opted for a rent-a-Santa for the occasion.

When he arrived, cheers ensued. This guy was good. He had an answer for everything, from cookie consummation, to how Santa got into homes without chimneys and if Santa and his wife went anywhere during summer vacation. That was, surprise, Skylar. She suggested he go to Galveston. If she saw him at the beach there she would teach him to build a sandcastle.

"Is she always like that?" Ray, the former Santa asked Drew.

"Yes," Drew nodded with a smile. "And she's training Zach, who's a fast learner."

Hunter Lincoln-Alister, one month and one -day old today, was the only one who was not impressed with Santa Claus. He preferred to charm the ladies, young and old. Rick joked he could do the same thing "but you ladies are too high maintenance. That's why I decided to switch teams," he teased Shannon.

As Shannon's direct supervisor when they were both on duty she would describe Drew as anything but "low maintenance." The soldiers that came to SAM nine weeks of the year for field medic training would agree even more. There were many nights Shannon thought annoying. From what Rick had heard from Jordan, Shannon was given a lot of responsibility at the reservation. She didn't have anyone to answer to there, either. That was her problem. She now had a boss. Rick knew it too well. He didn't know all that much about medicine, but Shannon wasn't being trained to flip burgers. Shannon and more importantly her patients would appreciate Drew being a "hard-ass" later." L

All the kids enjoyed their gifts from the man from the North Pole. Skylar played her _Crocodile Dentist_ with Mollie's granddaughter and Zach played with his new _Spiderman_ action-figure. Hunter took a nap in Drew's arms. His carrier wouldn't do today. Zach was fell asleep in the backseat on the home. The sugar rush was still going on with his sister. Drew hoped it would wear off by the time they reached home.

"I miss being the kid at Christmas parties," Rick said, brushing his teeth before bed.

Drew chuckled. "Oh, really?" He said, still flicking through the variety of _Hallmark_ Christmas movies. _Maggie's Christmas Miracle_ was too cheesy even for his taste. _How did she not suspect he was the same kid from her childhood? Don't women even ask questions as teenagers?_ He turned off the set. "Did you want to run around and chase balloons, too? And then sit on Santa's lap and tell me what you wanted for Christmas?"

"Oh, ha-ha."

Rick exited the bathroom connected to their bedroom. He threw himself onto the bed where his husband was.

"So, have you decided if I'm on the _naughty list_ again this year?"

 _That was quick change in the subject. And so kinky. So Rick._ Drew thought. _The man gave "the naughty list" a non-g-rated meaning. Before they got together Drew didn't realize he had this side to himself. It was interesting and kept things fresh in the bedroom._

"Listen to you! And you call _me_ the kinky one."

" _Shut up and spank me!_ "


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: Christmas Day**_

Hunter was the only one who didn't care about the toys with lights and sounds and stuffed animals. His siblings loved their toys. Their surrogate grandmother Ginnie Page was coming over for Christmas dinner. That meant another sack of presents even if their dads had told the older lady the children had enough. Gina was completely smitten with Drew and Rick's children. She loved both men like sons as well. She and her late husband, who was twenty years her senior never had children. She was enjoying giving all of them the love neither of the man's parents was willing to give. When baby Hunter was added to the family Ginnie was so excited. The family of five was a perfect Christmas card, even if it wasn't to the rest of the bible belt.

Nana Ginnie's visits were always exciting for the kids. Running her own small business and waking care of a mix rescue animals ranging from a pot-belly pig to a deaf Labrador retriever mix she had a very busy life. That didn't prevent her from picking up the phone and talking to the family daily. Drew's "first parents" as Ginnie thought of them weren't pleased with her former friend's relationship with her son and acceptance of Drew's children and husband. That word with deep mocking. Drew's father he was "looking forward to the day those "allegedly sweet children snapped and showed their true colors." Rick's parents were now just beginning to come around to Rick's life. And until they accepted everything _completely_ they would have zero contact with his children or husband. Only Skylar was old enough to enquire about her grandparents. Though it had never personally directed at her she sadly knew there was a lot of bigotry in Texas towards people who were different or thought to be.

The squeals of nana! Nana!" let Drew and Rick know their guest had arrived .

"Be prepared to be covered in lipstick, lil' man," Drew said to Hunter. "Nana hasn't seen you in all of two days."

After making sure neither man had missed up the turkey that was in the oven and that enough potatoes and other vegetables were peeled Ginnie's started giving out presents to everyone. Even Rick and Drew received gifts-and cool ones, too.

"I'm not telling you 'no' ever again," Rick grinned. He received a vintage _G.I. Joe_ action figure.

Ginnie teased Rick, saying the guy at the store told her that toys like that usually stayed in the box. "I don't see that sense in that. Maybe one of these tykes can convince ya to actually play with it,"

Drew got a _He-man_ action figure, mint in it's box.

"I remember you used to love that show," Ginnie said. "And apparently you still like blonds with muscles."

All the two men could do was laugh, although Drew couldn't whether Ginnie had given him the toy because he _was_ a fan of the animated series as a kid, or because it was a blond with muscles, a reference to his husband. But he was sure said husband was going to tease him later on.


End file.
